Fresh Market to expand; project will improve water drainage, safety

Published: Monday, December 10, 2012 at 8:23 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, December 10, 2012 at 8:23 p.m.

Plans for the Fresh Market to expand at its current location met with approval Monday by the Hendersonville City Planning Board, which voted unanimously to grant a special use permit for the project. Representatives of Sitework Studios, a land planning firm out of Asheville, came before the Planning Board seeking rezoning and a special use permit for The Fresh Market, a 28-year-old Hendersonville business at 233 Greenville Highway.

Plans call for a 10,000-square-foot addition to the 65,000-square-foot Southgate Shopping Center. The expansion will grow the business from about 18,000 square feet to 22,000 square feet and relocate Stein Mart, which is also expanding, from the left to the right side of The Fresh Market.

“It's really kind of a large facelift for this development,” Sitework Studios owner Matt Sprouse told the board.

Plans call for new signage at the center, fašade upgrades and a redesign of the parking lot with added landscaping and a total of 331 spaces to improve circulation and stormwater management.

“We're cutting holes in the parking lot to add street trees,” Sprouse said, to provide extra shading and to “treat some of that stormwater.”

He said they will use bioretention, a process in which contaminants and sedimentation are removed from stormwater runoff, with large tree islands collecting “the initial runoff in the parking lot.”

“We're also going to be collecting the stormwater off the roof. Right now it's literally being piped out onto the street,” Sprouse said. “We're going to be ... bringing that into an underground stormwater collection facility that will hold that water, treat it and let it percolate back into the ground water. It's going to improve the water quality significantly of Mud Creek.”

City Planning Director Sue Anderson said the redesign of the parking lot will improve overall vehicular circulation and safety. Plans also call for a sidewalk connection to the building from Church Street, Greenville Highway and White Street, which she said should improve pedestrian safety.

After a motion by Fred Dutcher and a second by Julia Sellers, the board unanimously approved a variance on minimum yard requirements for the rear of the building, which is currently at seven feet from the back of the curb on Davis Street. Buildings in the Central Mixed Use district are required to be set 12 feet back from any street.

Freeman motioned for the board to approve a special use permit for the property and recommended the City Council approve rezoning the land from C-3 Highway Business and Secondary Business to Central Mixed Use. Jay Thorndike seconded the motion and the board approved unanimously.

“I'm excited about it. I think it will be a major improvement on our south end,” said Planning Board member Ralph Freeman.

Sprouse said they hope to begin construction on the parking lot in spring 2013. The expansion to the shopping center will follow. He added that they will be removing over an acre of asphalt, reclaiming those portions with landscape.

Sitework Studios also handled development of The Fresh Market in Asheville. The Fresh Market opened in June of 1984 in Southgate Shopping Center.

Hendersonville Christian School rezoning

In other action, the board unanimously agreed to recommend a rezoning request from Henderson County for 708 S. Grove St. from R-15 Medium Density Residential to C-2 Secondary Business. The 9.45-acre parcel includes the former Hendersonville Christian School, which closed in July.

Anderson said that the county has the parcel under contract and plans to use the property for a park once it is purchased.

Dutcher asked why a change in zoning was needed since the city's Medium Density Residential district already allows parks.

Anderson said that additional facilities and recreational uses for parks are allowed in the city's C-2 district.

Freeman said he thought the rezoning would be a “good fit” for the property bordered by a residential dwellings, vacant land, a Duke Power substation and commercial properties. He made a motion to recommend the rezoning to City Council. Planning Board member Steve Johnson seconded the motion.

Boyd GM auto dealership

The board unanimously agreed to recommend rezoning a portion of property at 121 Spartan Heights pegged for use as a Boyd GM auto dealership on Spartanburg Highway.

Property owner Glassy Mountain Partners LLC asked that a portion of the parcel be rezoned from Henderson County Community Commercial to the city's C-3 Highway Business district.

On Jan. 3, City Council will hold a public hearing on the voluntary annexation of the property, according to Anderson. She said a neighboring mobile home park is undergoing demolition to accommodate the new dealership.

Thorndike made a motion to recommend the rezoning, seconded by Planning Board member John Blatt. All recommendations will go before Hendersonville City Council for a final decision.

<p>Plans for the Fresh Market to expand at its current location met with approval Monday by the Hendersonville City Planning Board, which voted unanimously to grant a special use permit for the project. Representatives of Sitework Studios, a land planning firm out of Asheville, came before the Planning Board seeking rezoning and a special use permit for The Fresh Market, a 28-year-old Hendersonville business at 233 Greenville Highway.</p><p>Plans call for a 10,000-square-foot addition to the 65,000-square-foot Southgate Shopping Center. The expansion will grow the business from about 18,000 square feet to 22,000 square feet and relocate Stein Mart, which is also expanding, from the left to the right side of The Fresh Market.</p><p>“It's really kind of a large facelift for this development,” Sitework Studios owner Matt Sprouse told the board.</p><p>Plans call for new signage at the center, fašade upgrades and a redesign of the parking lot with added landscaping and a total of 331 spaces to improve circulation and stormwater management. </p><p>“We're cutting holes in the parking lot to add street trees,” Sprouse said, to provide extra shading and to “treat some of that stormwater.”</p><p>He said they will use bioretention, a process in which contaminants and sedimentation are removed from stormwater runoff, with large tree islands collecting “the initial runoff in the parking lot.”</p><p>“We're also going to be collecting the stormwater off the roof. Right now it's literally being piped out onto the street,” Sprouse said. “We're going to be ... bringing that into an underground stormwater collection facility that will hold that water, treat it and let it percolate back into the ground water. It's going to improve the water quality significantly of Mud Creek.”</p><p>City Planning Director Sue Anderson said the redesign of the parking lot will improve overall vehicular circulation and safety. Plans also call for a sidewalk connection to the building from Church Street, Greenville Highway and White Street, which she said should improve pedestrian safety.</p><p>After a motion by Fred Dutcher and a second by Julia Sellers, the board unanimously approved a variance on minimum yard requirements for the rear of the building, which is currently at seven feet from the back of the curb on Davis Street. Buildings in the Central Mixed Use district are required to be set 12 feet back from any street.</p><p>Freeman motioned for the board to approve a special use permit for the property and recommended the City Council approve rezoning the land from C-3 Highway Business and Secondary Business to Central Mixed Use. Jay Thorndike seconded the motion and the board approved unanimously.</p><p>“I'm excited about it. I think it will be a major improvement on our south end,” said Planning Board member Ralph Freeman. </p><p>Sprouse said they hope to begin construction on the parking lot in spring 2013. The expansion to the shopping center will follow. He added that they will be removing over an acre of asphalt, reclaiming those portions with landscape.</p><p>Sitework Studios also handled development of The Fresh Market in Asheville. The Fresh Market opened in June of 1984 in Southgate Shopping Center.</p><p><b>Hendersonville Christian School rezoning </b></p><p>In other action, the board unanimously agreed to recommend a rezoning request from Henderson County for 708 S. Grove St. from R-15 Medium Density Residential to C-2 Secondary Business. The 9.45-acre parcel includes the former Hendersonville Christian School, which closed in July.</p><p>Anderson said that the county has the parcel under contract and plans to use the property for a park once it is purchased.</p><p>Dutcher asked why a change in zoning was needed since the city's Medium Density Residential district already allows parks. </p><p>Anderson said that additional facilities and recreational uses for parks are allowed in the city's C-2 district.</p><p>Freeman said he thought the rezoning would be a “good fit” for the property bordered by a residential dwellings, vacant land, a Duke Power substation and commercial properties. He made a motion to recommend the rezoning to City Council. Planning Board member Steve Johnson seconded the motion.</p><p><b>Boyd GM auto dealership</b></p><p>The board unanimously agreed to recommend rezoning a portion of property at 121 Spartan Heights pegged for use as a Boyd GM auto dealership on Spartanburg Highway. </p><p>Property owner Glassy Mountain Partners LLC asked that a portion of the parcel be rezoned from Henderson County Community Commercial to the city's C-3 Highway Business district. </p><p>On Jan. 3, City Council will hold a public hearing on the voluntary annexation of the property, according to Anderson. She said a neighboring mobile home park is undergoing demolition to accommodate the new dealership.</p><p>Thorndike made a motion to recommend the rezoning, seconded by Planning Board member John Blatt. All recommendations will go before Hendersonville City Council for a final decision.</p><p>Reach Weaver at emily.weaver@blueridgenow.com or 828-694-7867.</p>